STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 111, 13 May 1914, Page 5

STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARD.

REPLY TO MR FISHER

WELLINGTON, May 13

Sir Joseph Waa-d, has issued a lengthy istatemeni) on naval defence, in reply to tihe Hon. ,Ma* -Fislieir's remarks at Oamaa-u. He adheres to Iris contention that N«w Zealand slioulc! be associated with and attached to {lie Imperial Navy, and should not launch into th© expense of a local navy:. Concluding he says: '"I am not o-n niy defence for new navy proposals. It is I^he Massey Government, which is called upon to defend its, local navy policy. I made 5t clear a^t ißie Imporial Conference that no, l-esolution ngi-eed to ,l>ytthe con ferencfe. should ~b© bkiding on New Zealand|im€il, ratified by Parliament. .. Th® schem© I outlined at that corifea-eirice' is not 'btefore the country at tli© present ■time. What is before the country .is a local navy policy, inaugurated.':!by the Masl--sey Govei-nment and put jtlirp.ug'h.the House by the R-eform party, ".plihainf it has nev«a- been before -fihecpUiiitry.",